A Honeywell Gent fire alarm system built on Vigilon Plus is an analogue addressable system run from 2, 4 or 6 loop control panels, with up to 200 devices per loop on a single two-core cable carrying sensors, call points, sounders, visual alarms and interfaces. Good design depends on loop alarm load and length, not just device count.
This guide covers the panels, loop card, interfaces and S-Cubed sounders from Honeywell Gent’s official datasheets and the Vigilon Plus consultants’ specification guide, and where Vigilon fits on Saudi projects.
Key takeaways
- Vigilon Plus comes in three sizes: Compact Plus (2 loops), Vigilon Plus 4 loop and Vigilon Plus 6 loop, each loop managing up to 200 devices.
- Loops can run 2 km on 1.5 mm² cable and 2.5 km on 2.5 mm² cable, provided the sounder and visual alarm load allows it.
- The advanced loop card raises alarm current to 800 mA, but only with the latest alarm devices; with older devices the limit stays at 400 mA per loop.
- Every loop device has built-in short-circuit isolation.
- Up to 200 panels can be networked in a multi-domain structure, with up to 31 panels per domain.
In this article
- What is the Honeywell Gent fire alarm system (Vigilon Plus)?
- Vigilon Plus panels: which size fits the project?
- How do you design a Vigilon loop?
- What does the VIG-LPC-EN advanced loop card add?
- Loop-powered interfaces: how does the system control other equipment?
- S-Cubed sounders: tone, voice and visual alarm in one device
- Networking and repeat panels on large projects
- Where does Vigilon fit on Saudi projects?
- Common Vigilon design mistakes
- Frequently asked questions
- Conclusion
What is the Honeywell Gent fire alarm system (Vigilon Plus)?
Vigilon Plus is Honeywell Gent’s range of analogue addressable fire alarm control panels, supplied by AZEIDK in Saudi Arabia as part of its Honeywell Gent product range. “Analogue” means each sensor reports its actual reading digitally, and the panel decides fire or fault. The consultants’ guide states that background conditions for each device are monitored every 80 seconds. To follow where Honeywell is taking detection technology, read our news item on Honeywell AI smoke detection.
Addressing is done from the panel without switches on the device (soft addressing), with a SAFE option that stores the address in device memory, reducing manual addressing errors.
Vigilon Plus panels: which size fits the project?
The Honeywell Gent Vigilon Plus addressable panels page and its datasheet list three panel sizes and a repeat panel:
| Panel | Order code | Loops | Batteries | Standby |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compact Plus | COMPACT-PLUS | Up to 2 | 2 × 12Ah | 24 h + 30 min alarm |
| Vigilon Plus 4 Loop | VIGPLUS-24 / VIGPLUS-24-NP | Up to 4 | 2 × 21Ah | 24 h + 30 min alarm |
| Vigilon Plus 6 Loop | VIGPLUS-72 | Up to 6 | 4 or 8 × 21Ah (separate battery box) | 72 h + 30 min alarm |
| Vigilon Plus Repeat | VIGPLUS-RPT | Loop-connected (max 4 per loop) | 1 × 7Ah | 72 h |
From the datasheet:
- EN 54-2 limit: 4 and 6 loop panels are restricted to a maximum of 512 sensors and call points per panel. Six loops of 200 devices does not mean 1,200 sensors; the rest goes to sounders and interfaces.
- User interface: back-lit 8-line × 40-character LCD and QWERTY keypad; the 4 and 6 loop panels include a printer, except the VIGPLUS-24-NP no-printer version.
- Operating temperature: 0 to 45°C for all panels. In hot regions, place the panel in an air-conditioned room or corridor.
Battery sizing should be calculated for each project from the actual load, as explained in our fire alarm battery calculation guide.
How do you design a Vigilon loop?
The Vigilon Plus specification guide sets maximum values per loop. They cannot all be reached at once, because every device takes part of the loop load:
| Item | Maximum per loop |
|---|---|
| Total addressable devices | 200 |
| Loop-powered addressable sounders (incl. voice) | 200 |
| Visual alarm devices (VADs) | 100 |
| Sensors with integral sounder | 125 |
| Sensor sounder VADs | 100 |
| Beam sensor pairs | 16 |
| Repeat or mimic panels | 4 |
| Length | 2 km (subject to audio/visual load); up to 2.5 km with 2.5 mm² cable |
Isolation in every device
The consultants’ guide requires short and open-circuit isolation inside every device and states that group circuit monitors protecting a section of loop are not acceptable. Sensors, call points, sounders and interfaces each have two integral line isolators, so a short only takes out the section between two isolators.
Sounder distribution changes the numbers
The loop card datasheet warns that alarm device distribution is a key factor in allowable length and alarm current, and the card may sometimes support fewer devices or loops under 2 km. Check designs with the loop load calculations in the installation instructions and Gent’s Battery Standby and Loop Load Calculator. For general loop and zoning principles, see our addressable fire alarm loop design guide.
What does the VIG-LPC-EN advanced loop card add?
The Honeywell Gent advanced Vigilon loop card is designed for EN 54-23 compliance and comes as VIG-LPC-EN for Vigilon Plus panels and COMPACT-LPC-EN for Compact Plus panels. From the datasheet:
- Up to 100 EN 54-23 sensor-sounder-VADs on a 2 km loop, within 200 devices in total.
- Alarm current raised to 800 mA, twice the alarm power with no loss of standby, but only with the latest S-Quad and S-Cubed devices. With older alarm devices the limit is 400 mA per loop.
- Automatic measurement and display of each loop’s resistance on allocation, with a fault shown if it exceeds a safe limit.
- Support for upgrading existing Vigilon installations. The new card’s software is not available in BS protocol, so it is not compatible with 3400 panels or BS-protocol Vigilon panels.
On upgrade projects, check the datasheet compatibility tables against panel manufacture year, software version and the devices already on the loop.
Loop-powered interfaces: how does the system control other equipment?
Interfaces take signals from other systems, such as sprinkler flow switches, and send commands such as HVAC shutdown or door release. The Honeywell Gent Vigilon loop-powered interfaces page lists individually addressed units powered from the loop itself:
| Code | Function |
|---|---|
| S4-34410 | Single low-voltage input |
| S4-34420 | One low-voltage input and one output |
| S4-34450 | Four-channel input/output |
| S4-34415 / S4-34411 | Single-channel mains switching output with relay (enclosure / DIN mounting) |
| S4-34401 / S4-34404 | Single / four-channel mains switching interface with enclosure |
| S4-34418 | Single-channel key switch interface |
| S4-34412 | 12-input supervisory interface |
Per the datasheet, each unit has EN 54-17 short-circuit handling, the range is certified to EN 54-17 and EN 54-18, and operating temperature is −10 to +60°C for the low-voltage and mains switching units and −25 to +70°C for the S4-34418 key switch unit. The consultants’ guide rates low-voltage contacts at 2 A 24 V DC and mains switching contacts at 13 A 230 V AC, and loop-powered units stay operational on the panel’s standby batteries during a mains failure.
Load factor
The datasheet gives a load factor per unit: a low-voltage unit with 1–4 switch inputs = 1, with 1–4 relay outputs = 2 (maximum 200 per loop, only 8 individually sectored), a zone input = 26 (maximum 30 per loop), and every LED output adds 5 (maximum 100 per loop); a mains switching output unit = 5 and the key switch unit = 11. Count interfaces together with the cause and effect matrix before placing them on loops.
S-Cubed sounders: tone, voice and visual alarm in one device
The Honeywell Gent S-Cubed sounder is a loop-powered device combining sounder, speech and an EN 54-23 visual alarm. From the datasheet:
- Sound output 103 dB(A) ± 3 dB(A) at 1 m.
- Four standard voice messages (alert, two evacuation messages, test) plus a bell tone.
- Red or white VAD at high, medium or low power. The high-power red VAD is category W-6.7-14 and the high-power white VAD W-5-12.5; flash rate is 0.5 Hz.
- Approximate quantities per loop depend on VAD power: about 38 sounder VADs at high, 47 at medium and 72 at low power, and 44, 57 and 100 for VAD-only units, all subject to loop load.
- Standard range IP21; Environmentally Protected (EP) range IP66 for exposed or wet locations.
- LPCB approved to EN 54-3, EN 54-23 and EN 54-17. Volume can be set from the panel or the HandiLink infrared remote at up to 3 m.
The datasheet notes that panel software (main and repeat) may need upgrading to use the new sounder range. Sounders can be grouped into sectors for phased or delayed evacuation. To decide when this is enough and when a separate voice alarm system is needed, see voice evacuation alarm systems.
Networking and repeat panels on large projects
The consultants’ guide requires panels to form a secure network wired in a ring, so it survives a network cable fault. 4 and 6 loop panels support copper or fibre; Compact networks are copper only. A domain holds up to 31 panels, and a domain bridge links domains up to 200 panels in total.
The VIGPLUS-RPT repeat panel connects to the loop itself, so no separate cable is needed, and has its own power supply with 72-hour standby and two integral line isolators. The guide also describes a loop diagnostic tool that measures resistance and capacitance, locates earth faults and produces a report for commissioning records.
Where does Vigilon fit on Saudi projects?
Based on datasheet capacities, Vigilon Plus suits high device counts or several networked panels: towers, hospitals, multi-building campuses, and sites wanting voice sounders and VADs on the loop instead of separate sounder circuits.
On the regulatory side, the fire alarm system is designed within the Saudi Fire Protection Code (SBC 801) of the Saudi Building Code, the requirements of the General Directorate of Civil Defense and the consultant’s specification. The approvals stated on Vigilon datasheets are European and UK: EN 54-2 and EN 54-4 for panels, and LPCB to the EN 54 series for sounders and interfaces. If the project specification calls for UL-listed devices, settle that with the consultant before the submittal, as covered in UL vs EN 54 device selection and our EN 54 standard guide.
Common Vigilon design mistakes
- Sizing loops by device count alone and ignoring sounder and VAD alarm load.
- Assuming 800 mA with older-generation alarm devices.
- Putting more than 512 sensors and call points on one 4 or 6 loop panel.
- Specifying high-power VADs everywhere when they are not needed.
- Adding new sounders to an existing panel without checking its software version.
- Installing the panel where ambient temperature exceeds 45°C.
Frequently asked questions
How many devices can a Honeywell Gent loop take?
Up to 200 addressable devices per loop on Vigilon Plus, with sub-limits for sounders, VADs and interfaces, and a 512 sensor and call point limit per 4 or 6 loop panel.
What is the maximum Vigilon loop length?
2 km with 1.5 mm² cable and 2.5 km with 2.5 mm² cable, provided alarm load and sounder distribution allow it under Gent’s calculations.
Does the new loop card work with older panels?
It supports upgrades of existing Vigilon systems per the compatibility table, but it is not compatible with 3400 panels or BS-protocol Vigilon panels.
Do S-Cubed sounders need a separate sounder circuit?
No. They are powered and addressed on the loop, with tone, message and sector programmed at the panel.
Are Gent devices UL listed?
The available datasheets state EN 54 and LPCB approvals. If the project requires UL, confirm with the consultant before approval.
Conclusion
With a Honeywell Gent fire alarm system everything runs on one two-core loop, so loop load, length and alarm device distribution are the core of the design. Start from panel size and the 512-sensor limit, distribute devices by load, and check loop card and software compatibility before the submittal.
Preparing a Vigilon submittal? Send us the drawings and device schedule, and we will review panel size, loop distribution, S-Cubed devices and interfaces with you. Download datasheets from our documents page, or contact the AZEIDK team.
